Many readers of this page have had some affiliation with the old Worldwide Church of God. But most people do not know what the first doctrinal changes that the Tkach administration were.

It was NOT something that they started to teach–it was something that they stopped teaching.

And what was that?

The first clear doctrinal change that the Tkach administration made was to STOP teaching that the it was the Philadelphia Church and that CG7 was the remnant of Sardis.

After J. Tkach Jr. visited CG7 (in 1986, I believe), he was touched by a CG7 member who complained that he did not like being referred to as part of the “dead” church–especially since they had possibly more members than WCG did.

Joe Jr. then apparently decided that WCG should not teach that anymore. So when WCG decided to reprint Volume I of the Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong those type of references were be removed.

Hence the 1986 “Autobiography” that most have is not really an autobiography, but an edited one. Furthermore, I noticed that the same type of thing happened with the old The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse booklet that I reported about yesterday.

One of the big differences is that while page 40 of the 1973 version used to teach:

To this end-time “elect” doing God’s Work, Jesus says, “I know your works” behold I set before thee an open door” (Rev. 3:8). This door refers to a way being opened to preach the Gospel (II Cor. 2:12).

Today, that way is through the mass media of radio, television, the printing press, and personal evangelism.“And…no man can shut it: for thou hast [only] a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Rev. 3:8).

The 1987 version omits that verse and any comments about Revelation 3:8–which was a message to the Philadelphia church.

While people without a WCG background may not consider this to be an important doctrine, the truth is that this change is, in a very real sense, the reason why WCG scattered as much as it did. People who did not believe that they were called to be Philadelphians either left the COG or became parts of groups that simply are not Philadelphian.

This is why there is currently disunity within the COGs and why there will be a lack of true unity until after Jesus Christ returns.

Philadelphians have held fast to Philadelphia era doctrine, gospel priorities, and governance. The others (which is essentially all groups but LGC) simply have not. And it was this subtle, and essentially unannounced, change that still has affected the COGs greatly.